Folding safety razor



July 14, 1925.

1,545,542 w. F. ALBRECHT ET AL FOLDING SAFETY RAZOR Filed 001;. 18, 1921 Patented July 14, 1925.

UNIT D STATES PATENT or FICE.

FOLDING SAFETY RAZOR.

Application filed October To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. AL- BRECHT andJosEPH SHEBoL, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Folding Safety Razor, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description, I V

This invention relates to a foldingsafety razor in whicha guard plate and a clamping, plate with'the blade clamped between themare hinged to a suitable handle to swing or fold into and out of a lengthwise opening therein and are also movable relatively to each other to hold or release the .blade. 7 j

The main object is to hinge or-pivot the guard plate and clamping plateto the handle to swing about thesame axis relatively to each other andto the handle so thatjthe blade may be more easily accessible for removal and replacement fr om the outer end of the guard plate in adjusting the device for use and at the same time to enable both plates with the blade between them to be housed wholly within: the marginal edges of a handle. only slightly longer than the blade whereby the entire device may be attached to a vest chain as an ornament or carried in a .vestpocket or in any small :container ready for use at any time...

Another object is to provide meansfor frictionally holding the guard plate and clamping plate with the blade betweenthem' in different angles of adjustment relatively to the handle for convenience in shaving with either hand or with opposite sides of the double edge blade. I I

A further object is to provide the outer ends of the guard plate and clamping plate with inter-engaging portions capable of tightening said plate uponthe bladewhen adjustingthe sameffor use. i I

Other objects anduses relating to specific parts of the shaving device will be I brought out in the following description.

In the drawings: j g I Figs. 1 and 2 are opposite. face views of a foldingrazor embodying the various features of our invention, .the blade-clampingplates being shown in their closed position within the handle in Fig.1 and extended by dotted lines in the same figure while Fig.

r 2 shows the clamping plates as extended and adjusted relatively to each other for per- 18, 1921. Seria1No."5 08,59 1

mitting the removal or replacement of the I blade. j

Fig. 3 is an edgeview of the same device with the blade clamping-plates and blade held betweenthem extended for use.

F1g. 4 is an.v enlarged longitudinal sect onal view, partly broken away, taken on line 44, Fig. 1 except that, the blade holdmg plates are shown in their extended positions as indicatedby dottedlines in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end View ofthe detached clamping plates with the blade between them omitting thehandle.-

As illustrated, this :iolding razor comprises a handle 1, a guard plate 2.-. and a clamping platef-3-, for, receiving- I plates 2 and 3 and blade t,

and is folded intermediate its. ends in the same direction and in parallel spaced relation to form. a. lengthwise slot or opening 6- of sufficient size to receive the plates folded thereinythereby forming a handle with a transverse opening extending through opposite edges thereof.

j The plates 2 and 3 are hinged toand between the opposite sides of the open end of the handle by means of a single, pivot 7- to allow them to swing about the same axis in a plane coincident withthat of the opening -6, the distance between the axis of the pivot 7+.- and free ends of the plates -2 and 3.-. being somewhat less than the distance between'said-axis and the closed I end 8 of the handle to allow said plates with the blade -4l+ between them to swing wholly within the handle when closed and alsoto be opened in line with or to difif'er-I ent angles relatively to the longitudinal the removal and replacement. of the blade Suitable friction washers 9 10" areinterposed'between the opposite arms of the handle 1 and adjacent outer faces of the plates -2 and andalso between the pivotal ends of the plates for frictionally holding the plates with the bladebetween them in different positionsof opening or closing adjustment; s'aid'washers being preferably concentric with the pivotal pin 7. which passes through registering openings in the plates and washers forhold ing themin operative relation to thehandle", the washers-'9 also serving'to protect the outer faces of the plates .'2- and. against frictional contact with the inner faces of the opposite sides of the handle, thus permitting said plates to behighly polished or finished without liability of marrin'g. a

V The washer -10. also serves tohold the plates 2' and-3 in sufficiently spaced relation to permit the plate to be readily'moved relatively to the plate 2 about the axis of tl1'epivotl1ll pin7 without excessive friction with the shaving blade I a l The guard plate 2 is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced, studs or bosses 11 along its longitudinal center and projecting therefrom'toward the plate a distance approximately equal to the thicknessof the shavingblade l and is adapted to enter slots -12 in the ends of said blade to center and hold the latter against endwise or transverse displacement when assembled for use, said slots bein'gf disposed in the longitudinal center or midway between the opposite cutting edges of the blades to center the'latter' on the guard plate '2 when placed in operative position.

,The guard plate is provided with opposite sets 'of' guards fingers or teeth-18+ or serrations along its opposite longitudinal edges and projecting slightly beyondflthe cuttingedges of the blade l' whenthe latter is placed thereon to perform theusual function of safety of cutting the skin-when shaving. v v

The inner face ofthe guard' p-late'upon which the blade rests is substantially fiat while the clamping plate +3 is preferably concavo-convex with its concave side facing the plate -2' so that its edges may be drawn tightly"; against the blade l whenthe parts are adjusted foruseQ i It will be observech however, that" the "guard plate 95 slightly wider and that the clamping plate V-3-' is slightly narrower than the blade and that both plates ,2 and 3 are narrower than the'handle Y 1 so that by pivoting them at- 7 in the longitudinal centers of the blade and handle the edges or the parts '2'-,*-j- 3- and and -4 will be wholly within the corresponding edges of the handle'1 when folded to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 whereby thehandle" protects the parts 2, 3 and t from contact with external objects.

Thefree end of the clamping plate 3- is-provided with an extension -14 offset across the plane of movement of the guard plate +2 and'a'dap'ted to'extend'across and under "the'free end of the guard plate to serve as a catch for lockingthe-plates togetherupon the blade-when thegplates are alined with each other as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

The guard plate'2. is provided at its free end with j a stop shoulder -15 adapted to be engaged'by oneedge of theextension- '14- to allow the plate 3' to swing in one directionlfrom a central position over the guard plate and'to limit its swinging movement from said central posi tion in the' opposite direction; said guard plate being also providedwith a cam 16- struck up"fromits free end at one side of the stop 15 forengagement by the underlying portion of the extension "14.''-to tighten the plates '2 and +3 upon the blade when alined' with each other or iiiparallelism one over the other, the stop"15- also serving as a handpi'ece by'which the plate 13[ may be 'rockedabout the axis of the pivot 7 relatively to'the guard plate 2 and is adapted to enter a transverse slot 16 in the corresponding side of the handle when thejparts are folded as shown in Figure 1. i

i i Operation. I

The plates 2' and- 3+ with'the blade 4 between them are normally folded into the'open'ing 6+ in the'handl'e 1 as "shown by full lines in Fig 1, but may be swung; to their open positions asshown by dotted linesinfthe same' 'figure; by simply holding the 'handle1fin one hand and moving the extension; 14- laterally through the opening slot l-16'- "through "practically a half circle or to any desired angle relatively to tlielOngitud inal center of the'handle 1 'readyfor shaving or if the blade is to beremoved,- the plates 2 and 3' may be rookedrelatively to each other about the'axisof the pivot "7' to the posit-ion'shown'by full" lines in Fig. 2, thusexposing. the'bla-deand permitting it to be removedfrom the. guard plate -2- after which'the sameojr other blade may be replaced and reclampedby reversing the operation j u'st' described, the friction disks 9 and 1O serving to-hold the plates in difierent positions of adjustment relatively to each other andgrelatively to" the handle -1', whilethe friction between the extension '"l4l a-nd'cam' 9-116 servesto' hold common axis into and out of the slot and the plates in frictional engagement with the blade 4.

What we claim is:

A folding safety razor comprising a U- shaped handle forming a lengthwise slot open at both sides and one end and of greater transverse width from end to end than the cutting blade, a guard plate and a clamping plate having corresponding ends arranged one over the other between the opposite arms of the handle and pivoted to said handle near one end thereof to swing about a constructed to lie wholly within the marginal edges of the handle when folded into the slot,

studs projecting from the inner face of the guard plate in longitudinally spaced relation and midway between the opposite longitudinal edges of the guard plate, a cutting blade supported on the inner face of the guard plate and provided with notches in both of its ends and midway between its opposite cutting edges for receiving said studs, the free end of the clamping plate being provided with an extension adapted to frictionally engage the outer face of the corresponding end of the guard plate when said plates are brought into superposed relation for clamping the cutting blade between the plates. l

' In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 12th day of October 1921 WILLIAM F. ALBRECHT.

JOSEPH SHEBOL.

Vitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, M. R. GooKE. 

